Scam Websites

 

What are scam website?

Scam websites are any illegitimate internet websites used to deceive users into fraud or malicious attacks. Scammers abuse the anonymity of the internet to mask their true identity and intentions behind various disguises. These can include false security alerts, giveaways, and other deceptive formats to give the impression of legitimacy.

Although the internet has numerous useful purposes, not everything on the web is what it seems. Among the millions of legitimate websites vying for attention are websites set up for an array of nefarious purposes. These websites attempt anything from perpetrating identity theft to credit card fraud.

Online shopping scams

Online shopping scams involve scammers pretending to be legitimate online sellers, either with a fake website or a fake ad on a genuine retailer site.

How this scam works

While many online sellers are legitimate, unfortunately scammers can use the anonymous nature of the internet to rip off unsuspecting shoppers.

Scammers use the latest technology to set up fake retailer websites that look like genuine online retail stores. They may use sophisticated designs and layouts, possibly stolen logos, and even a ‘.com.au’ domain name and stolen Australian Business Number (ABN).

Many of these websites offer luxury items such as popular brands of clothing, jewellery and electronics at very low prices. Sometimes you will receive the item you paid for but they will be fake, other times you will receive nothing at all.

The biggest tip-off that a retail website is a scam is the method of payment. Scammers will often ask you to pay using a money order, pre-loaded money card, or wire transfer, but if you send your money this way, it’s unlikely you will see it again or receive your purchased item.

A newer version of online shopping scams involves the use of social media platforms to set up fake online stores. They open the store for a short time, often selling fake branded clothing or jewellery. After making a number of sales, the stores disappear. They also use social media to advertise their fake website, so do not trust a site just because you have seen it advertised or shared on social media. The best way to detect an fake trader or social media online shopping scam is to search for reviews before purchasing.

Warning signs

• A product is advertised at an unbelievably low price, or advertised to have amazing benefits or features that sound too good to be true.
• The other party insists on immediate payment, or payment by electronic funds transfer or a wire service. They may insist that you pay up-front for vouchers before you can access a cheap deal or a give-away.

• The social media based store is very new and selling products at very low prices. The store may have limited information about delivery and other policies.

• There are many ways to determine if a website is fake—here’s what we recommend.   

  The internet is full of websites that are either fake, fraudulent or a scam. It’s a sad fact of life. You see, the evolution of the internet has brought with it a number of extremely convenient advances in the way we shop, bank, and interact with the world around us. At the same time, that evolution has also given way to new risks—new avenues for criminals to rip off the unsuspecting. In 2018 Cybercrime will be a $1.5 trillion industry.

  Really, what it all boils down to is fraud. These hackers and cyber criminals are little more than new age con men. And the con game is as old as time itself—people have literally been tricking one another since the beginning of time. And in the same vein as ancient mystics and old-fashioned snake oil salesmen, these con-men are after one thing: your money.

  Nowadays their tactics tend to involve phishing. Lots and lots of phishing.

• What is Phishing?

• Phishing is a type of online fraud that involves getting an individual or organization to disclose sensitive, sometimes compromising information, under false pretenses that have been expertly manufactured by the attackers. Tailoring your phishing attack to your target is sometimes called spearphishing, it’s a form of social engineering. These attacks take several forms, often elaborately combining multiple mediums to create the impression of legitimacy.

  What does that mean?

  Well, let’s look at an example. An attacker may start by sending you a formal looking email from an address that resembles an official account. It may say something like, “an attempt to login to your account has been made from another country, please update your password.”